Top sector pecks are Gaming, Renewables & Transport
Hong Kong – Wednesday, 18 January 2017 – CLSA Limited (CLSA), Asia’s leading brokerage and investment group, today launches its 23rd CLSA Feng Shui Index (FSI) – a quirky annual financial forecast for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI). We crow a sigh of relief as we farewell the mischievous Fire Monkey and welcome the year of the Fire Rooster, cousin of the HSI, which is an Earth Rooster.
In 2017, after scratching aimlessly for the first couple of months, the Hang Seng claws its way upwards, to rule the roost around July/August. After a few ups and downs, by November/December the Earth Rooster loses his grip, but still manages to end the year on a higher perch overall.
Throughout the Rooster year while Fire and Metal guide the yearly chart, their influence is not as strong, allowing Earth, Wood and Water to play their roles in turn. Our Feng Shui Master warns that it’s not so much a matter of picking your element as picking the right time for the element. Wood starts the year in the ascendency, Fire influences from May to July, Earth from August to September, Metal October to November and Water at year-end.
In terms of sectors we can expect scraps from both Gaming and Transport from May thru July, with the tables turning by November/December. Oil & Gas, Utilities, Tech and Telcos will shine mid-year, but produce scant pickings by the second-half. The spring chicken is true to its name it terms of Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals, which is the Rooster’s top sector pick in April, while Renewables strut their stuff in August. In general, our Rooster predicts fiery returns for Gaming, Transport and Renewables for the overall year, cautioning not to put all your eggs in one basket unless you want scrambled results.
On the Hong Kong Property front, the Rooster prefers to nest in the North, while the lower Peninsula also looks reasonable to our feathered friend. North-East and North-West are also good choices, but poultry returns are expected elsewhere, especially directly South and East.
The CLSA Feng Shui guide also makes forecasts for some of the more well-known characters in the coop. Can Regina Ip wing it to the top and will John Tsang run in the upcoming Hong Kong Chief Executive race? What happens when Obama flies the coop, making way for a cocksure new US President? The Grand Rooster tells us that The Donald, born in a Dog year, is expected to “push the bowl even further forward” in 2017, while Barack Obama (Ox) needs to “work even harder” to secure a comfortable retirement.
2017 promises to be a healthy, wealthy year for those born under Snake and Horse signs, while love is in the air for the Rat and Ox. Dog, Monkey and Pig zodiacs may enjoy profits but will need to work hard. Rabbit signs should display caution when driving. Of the 12 zodiacs, Goats will have the toughest year.
Roosters be warned, just because it is your year, it doesn’t guarantee you get to strut around carefree. The charts advise all chooks to stop squawking and get down to work this year, only those who have already feathered their nests may lie back and enjoy the grain.
In 2016, the CLSA Feng Shui Index predicted plenty of monkey mischief and we were not disappointed. We correctly forecast the rise of the Hang Seng from February to March, but by April/May someone spiked the coconuts and some serious trickery occurred resulting in a few unexpected bumps. We accurately forecast a drop in the Hang Seng on 24 June and sure enough, the day after the Brexit vote the Hang Seng plummeted 1,000 points.
CLSA’s Feng Shui Index is a tongue-in-cheek play on the influences of the Chinese Zodiac on the Hang Seng and is purely for entertainment purposes. As always, we suggest readers might do better following our analysts’ regular updates throughout the year.
About the CLSA Feng Shui Index
The CLSA Feng Shui Index began life in The Monkey year of 1992, as a Chinese New Year card for our clients, with a simple summary of forecasts by a group of Feng Shui masters and a few views of our own. To flesh it out, we also predicted the performance of the Hang Seng Index based on the omens. No one paid much attention to the contrarian chart, but by year’s end it had correctly called all seven of the Hang Seng’s major turns. Now renowned by investors globally, the CLSA Feng Shui Index took a break during the bull run from 2006 to 2008. Much missed, it was revived in 2009. This year marks our 23rd edition.
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About CLSA Limited
CLSA is Asia’s leading and longest-running brokerage and investment group. The company provides equity broking, corporate finance & capital markets and asset management services to global corporate and institutional clients.
Renowned for service excellence, product innovation and award-winning market intelligence CLSA has provided independent equity research, sales and trading since 1986. CLSA is the largest agency-only brokerage in Asia and with exchange membership in every developed market in the region, plus Australia and the Americas, CLSA provides best execution across a range of products and services.
The group’s corporate finance and capital markets team leads equity public offerings (primary and secondary), debt issuances and M&A advisory. Direct investment is offered through diversified, alternative investment vehicles by CLSA Capital Partners.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, CLSA’s 1,500 dedicated professionals operate from 25 cities across Asia, Australia, the Americas and Europe. CLSA’s parent company CITIC Securities is China’s leading investment bank.
Media Contacts
| Simone Wheeler Global Head, Group Communications, CLSA Limited +852 2600 8196 simone.wheeler@clsa.com |
Mandy Ho Senior Communications Manager CLSA Limited +852 2600 8193 mandy.ho@clsa.com |
